BWT Alpine F1 team announced his Alpine Academy drivers on Monday (February 14th). Two new faces have appeared, and two drivers continue to operate under the program for the fourth year; all four competed in FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2021.
Cayo Tsolet and Victor Martins remain at the Academy and remain in F3 for the second season, while Colle stays at MP in motorsport and Martins moves in ART Grand Prixwith which he won 2020 Formula Renault European Cup.
Martins won the 2nd race Zandvoortwhile both took pedestals in Route Barcelona-Catalonia in the first meeting of the season. Martins twice finished on the podium in his native land Scheme by Paul Ricardand Colle took third place in Race 3. Further pedestals arrived for the Frenchman Spa-Francorcham route and Sochi.
Jack Duhan and Oli Caldwell participated in the FIA ​​F3 in 2021, receiving four wins and one win from Trident and PREMA races respectively.
Duhan did not receive the PREMA title FIA Formula 2 Championship to recruit Dennis Haugerbut helped Trident along with the team in the championship team Kliment Novalak and David Schumacher.
Caldwell finished eighth in the standings after a victory in Barcelona and four podiums per season. The pair debuted in F2 Jeddah in December, after the F3 season ended in Sochi two months earlier.
Both drivers were involved in the collision Abu Dhabi through the last three races from Virtuoso races and Campus racealthough Duhan took an impressive fifth place in the 2nd sprint race in Saudi Arabia and eighth in the same race in Route Yas Marina.
Existing Alpine Academy riders were among the classes in the FIA ​​Formula 2 in 2021. Oscar Piastry won his third title in a row (Formula Renault European CupFIA F3), taking the F2 crown for the first time when asked, and take on the role of backup and simulator driver for 2022.
Meanwhile, Guanyu ZhouFor the season he won the race, he was awarded a place Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN next door Walter Botasas Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giavinci both leave Formula 1.
Christian Lundgaard will participate in 2022 IndyCar series with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Laurent RossiCEO Alpine said “The Alpine Academy remains an extremely valuable part of what we want to achieve in Formula One.
“We are trying to find the next generation of riders who will feed our lineup of Formula One riders. It is a pleasure to watch the strength of the program grow since its launch in 2016 [2021] this is the most successful season to date.
“Of our 2021 Oscar graduates [Piastri] joins our Formula 1 program as the team’s official backup racer. He plays an important role next door Esteban [Ocon] and Fernando [Alonso] this year.
“We also just need to look at the Formula 1 squad and IndyCar to see two more graduates of our Academy from last year, which shows the structure of the program to prepare riders for the senior series.”
“As every year, we have high expectations of our Academy, and this season will be nothing else.” he said.
“We welcome two new racers, Jack and Ollie, combined with the returning Formula 3 duo, Cayo and Victor. Each of them has their own personality and talent, and we are happy to see how our riders develop this season, individually and in groups.
David Brivio will take on a new role in 2022 as a former director of racing expansion projects Racing Point and Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Director Otmar Schaffnauer joined on Thursday (February 17th).
Before leaving the Enstone team, Brivio said “This season the Alpine Academy is entering a new cycle after a very successful 2021 for the program.
“This year our academy has a good combination of talents with great potential. Jack and Ollie are both entering their first seasons in Formula 2, but were important last year.
“We believe that they are adapting well and will receive valuable lessons in the first year of the Academy.
“Kayo and Victor continue to participate in the program for another year, and we have high expectations for both of them. They have now become the most experienced drivers at the Academy, so we are excited to see how they have demonstrated all their skills.
Mia Sharizmanadded the director of Alpine Academy, “We are measured only by our success on the track, and our goal as an academy is to always win championships in which our riders participate.
“Jack just finished second in F3, showing his raw speed in the championship and again in his F2 debut last year. While Oli comes to the Academy after a good year in F3, where he managed to lift four podiums and win the race.
“We accept that it may take a few races for the two of them to adjust to the new environment, but we are confident that they will come out on the ground by the second half of the season.
“For Victor and Cayo, they know it’s time to perform and fight for the F3 title this season after a strong first year in the series.
“They have been members of the Academy for four years and have shown strong development every season. Victor won his first race last year, and Cayo got some strong results. We are glad that both seasons will start next month. “
Martins, Collet, Duhan and Caldwell will begin their 2022 seasons on March 18-20, when F2 and F3 support Formula One at Sahir International Highway, Bahrain.